Author: Smart City Memphis

A new study from Americans for the Arts claims that each year in America the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166 billion in economic activity. Our guests this week are leading efforts to make sure their cities get...

It wasn’t exactly a “Man Bites Dog” news story. The lead and second graph in The Commercial Appeal said:“…improvements could cost up to $20 million and mean the loss of 10,000 seats at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium…the findings...

So, here’s the question of the week:What do you think the future of the Fairgrounds should be? What do you see as the greatest obstacles to it taking place.We asked the question in light of the movement toward a resolution of...

With a seemingly inexhaustible ability to be against things, Memphis City Council Member Carol Chumney recently added yet one more – city branding.It’s too bad, because the reality is this: Memphis has no brand. Yes, there’s an...

Religion has become a sort of battleground in America for some of the nation’s most divisive issues. Buzz Thomas is attempting to cool the heat and shed light on what keeps us at odds in his new book from St....

It is an aphorism – though none the less true – that the most segregated hour in Memphis is at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning.Surely it’s equally true that the most racially-corrosive time in Memphis is any time City Council...

Recently, we received information from a staff member of the Shelby County Finance Department about the costs of the county’s bond transactions, including new bond issues, bond refunding and swaps.The information was not...

The question of the week centers on the future of the Fairgrounds.Soon, a master plan for the Fairgrounds will be released. Already, we know this much:• Libertyland is history.• The Mid-South Fair needs to find a new home.• The...

What makes cities successful? It’s a question we ask every week here on Smart City. And this week we have two authorities from the University of Chicago to address that topic – one with a very local view and the...

Previously published in Memphis magazine’s City Journal column:Finally, Shelby County has the chance to have a “strong mayor” form of government.Through sheer force of personality, county mayors have created...